Soo Greyhouds Season in Review 2000-01

It all started with Ryan Healy being sent home for “philosophicaldifferences” with head coach Paul Theriault and finished with a 5 gamelosing skid. In between it was like riding a roller coaster.

There were some high expectations for the Soo Greyhounds coming in tothe 2000-01 season. The goaltending and defence were expected to besolid while the offence, although a question mark, was seen as somethingthat was not going to be a huge problem.

In hindsight the goaltending was solid, the defence was suspect at bestand the offence… well let’s just say the offence didn’t come to play.

To start the season the Greyhounds did have some offensive spark inguys like Preston Mizzi, Ryan Held and Cory Pecker. The Greyhounds alsofeatured some potential in Jeff Richards, who showed up to camp in greatshape, CHL Import Pick Martin Bonda as well as defenceman Trevor Daleyand rookie Brett Trudell. There was a lot of potential but,unfotunately, not all of it was realized.

The defence was suspect but did come up with some great efforts againstsome of the OHL’s top teams. The defensive corps was somewhat young withthree 19-year-olds, two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old.

The Greyhounds goaltending was solid during some games and off duringothers. Ray Emery was solid during the stretch run but the team lostsome key games at the end of the year which knocked them out of playoffcontention.

The turmoil all began during training camp in September. During one ofthe scrimmages rookie Jordan Kennedy got into a shoving match withveteran Cory Pecker. As the two moved up ice and neared the visitorsbench Pecker punched Kennedy and Kennedy hit him back. That’s whenveteran Ryan Healy jumped in. He came off the home team bench, which ison the other side of the rink and blindsided Kennedy. With Kennedy onthe ice Healy punched himw 4-5 times before being pulled off of therookie. Keenedy was never the same (he suffered a minor concussion andit worsened after playing a game early in the season and was forced tosit out the entire season) and Healy was sent home and eventually tradedto Oshawa.

In October sophomore defenceman Trevor Daley left the team due to whathe called personal reasons. Rumours floated around the city about thereal reason why he left. The reason never did come out even afterDaley’s return in early November.

Also in October sophomore’s Rob Chapman and Malcolm MacMIllan weresuspended indefinitely by the team for allegedly breaking curfew. Bothwere back in the lineup soon after the incident.

In the weeks leading up up to the OHL’s trade deadline the Greyhounds,claiming to be building for the future, made a number of trades in orderto get younger. Most peopple felt that the real reason was that theplayers dealt didn’t like playing for coach Paul Theriault.

In February team captain Brent Theobald ripped into Greyhounds fans andmedia because of their “negativity”. Theobald said that he couldn’tunderstand how the fans treat their team with such hostility. Theobaldsaid when he arrived in the Sault that he heard that Sault Ste. Mariewas the Montreal of the OHL, but he asked “Where was everyone in theplayoffs?” Coach Paul Theriault also said that the Sault fans “tend toeat their own.” Theobald echoed that statement by saying, “No one likesto see a human being crucified in his hometown.” After reading that Ihad to ask myself, aren’t the Montreal fans the same way? (Just athought.)

Anyhowl the Greyhounds season ended with the team losing their last 5games. If the team would have won their last three games, which were allat home, the Greyhounds would have squeaked into the playoffs, but itwasn’t meant to be.

Looking ahead to the 2001-02 season the Greyhounds will return up to 19players. The team will also be under ne ownership as Sault businessmanSam Biasucci, who also owns the NOJHA’s Soo Thunderbirds; Dr. LouLoukenda, also a Sault Ste. Marie businessman; and New Jersey Devilsgoaltender John VanBiesbrouk purchased the team for a reported $1.21million.

The new ownership cleaned house letting go GM Dave Mayville, head coachPaul Theriault as well as assistant coaches Steve Harrison, LynnMcKinnon and Bill Hughes and trainer Gord Hysen. The team announced thatCraig Hartburg, who was also in the bidding for the team, will be thenew Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations.

Overall the 2000-2001 season was a long one for players and fans butthe future looks bright for the team as they try to head in a newdirection.